Monday February 25, 2013

Rare Whale Species Spotted Off Lanzarote

A species of cetacean not usually known to frequent Canarian waters has been confirmed as inhabiting the sea just ten kilometres off the coast of Lanzarote. Several True beaked whales have now been sighted in the last couple of years, for the first time since a single specimen was seen back in 1984 in the Puerto Marmoles area.

The Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canarian Archipelago (SECAC) has confirmed that this rare sea mammal is the creature that has been identified in waters around Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The True beaked whale has apparently only been spotted in the wild two or three times previously.

Its similarity to other species of beaked whale makes it extremely difficult to distinguish, but specific features, such as the unusual shape of its head and the position of its teeth help with its identification. It is known to dive to great depths and to flee from vessels in the waters where it swims, preferring to stay far away from the coastline.

The creatures that have been observed in the waters around Lanzarote were between 3.5 and 4.5 metres in length and were only possible to see from a distance of 200 metres, such is their evasive nature when confronted by boats and people.